Ultrasound: What is the difference between a 3D ultrasound and a 4D ultrasound, and are they safe?

Also read: When can you see the gender on an ultrasound?

What is a fun ultrasound?

In a 3D ultrasound, the 2D images are pasted one after the other, creating depth, so that you get an image of the contours of your child. In this way, you can see the face, for example. In a four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound, these 3D images are pasted one after the other. This makes it possible to see moving images of your baby. In addition to photos, a film can also be made.

Medically speaking, such 3D and 4D ultrasound scans are not necessary, but it is of course nice for parents to see their baby in the womb and see it move, which is why they are also called fun ultrasound scans.

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When can a prenatal ultrasound be performed?

A fun ultrasound is best done between 20 and 34 weeks of your pregnancy. Most people choose a 3D fun ultrasound from 25 weeks of pregnancy, because that is when you get the clearest images. The bigger the baby gets, the harder it is to get the entire body on screen. From 34 weeks, most babies start to descend, which means that the face is no longer clearly visible on ultrasound. Fun ultrasounds usually cost around 50 to 150 euros and are not reimbursed by the health insurance fund.

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Is a prenatal ultrasound safe?

The Superior Health Council advises against prenatal ultrasounds, because they have no added medical value and there is still insufficient scientific data on the impact of repeated and prolonged exposure to ultrasound. Such an ultrasound often takes longer than a 2D ultrasound, because maximum image quality is sought. In any case, ultrasounds should only be performed by healthcare professionals, says the council. The devices that allow you to listen to your child's heartbeat are also addressed in the official recommendations of the Health Council. The devices that are freely available on the market are of course a lot cheaper than the professional devices. “Given the cost of these devices, it is not impossible that the devices intended for 'photography of the foetus' would be manufactured at a lower price and would be less safe,” it says.

Kind en Gezin writes on the website: “Please note that such devices can cause you unnecessary stress and anxiety and that has a negative effect on the development of your baby. In addition, prenatal ultrasounds and heart rate devices are based on echo-doppler radiation. This radiation is harmless if used in a medical setting and only to a limited extent during pregnancy. There has not yet been sufficient research into the possible harmful effects of frequent use. The safety of the radiation cannot be guaranteed when used frequently, which is why its use outside a medical setting is discouraged as a precaution.”

Would you like to follow your pregnancy from week to week? Then consult our pregnancy calendar.

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